Don Iveson has a plan to raise the profile of Edmonton — 'the most underestimated city in North America'

Edmonton elected a 34-year-old Star Trek fan as their new mayor this week. But Don Iveson — who first made his mark as a student journalist and university of Alberta students’ union advocate — built a city-wide reputation during six years as a municipal councillor and outhustled two older mayoral candidates to win 60% of the vote, with a campaign focused on an innovation agenda. Mr. Iveson, seen as a progressive in the mode of Calgary’s Naheed Nenshi, spoke to the National Post’s Jen Gerson:

Q. People seem to be making quite a lot of your age. What do you make of that?

A. Edmonton is one of the youngest major Canadian cities, demographically, so it’s really not a big deal. It’s certainly not a big deal to Edmontonians. At first in the campaign, people asked ‘can we really trust the keys to the city to a 34-year-old?’ But we proved through thoughtful ideas and a campaign focused on Edmonton’s bright future that people are OK with that.

Q. Now it looks like Alberta’s two largest cities are run by “progressive” mayors. Do you consider yourself progressive and should the rest of the country be surprised?

A. It’s a pretty loose label. I think what’s important is that municipal government shows time and time again that we can work across ideology, across philosophies and focus on practical solutions. Potholes don’t know the difference between left and right.

Q. What is your big vision for Edmonton?

A. Edmonton is the most underestimated city in North America and I want to change that. That starts with this election. But it’s also confirming that this city has been on the right path under mayor [Stephen Mandel]. He’s been an extraordinary leader for the city for the past nine years, but he’s also raised Edmonton’s aspirations for the kind of city it is. Edmonton can be a fantastic climate for business, it has a great quality of life and some of the best schools and post-secondary institutes in the country. It also has one of the strongest and fastest growing economies in North America. There are a lot of exciting things on the go here and an incredible climate for innovation.

Q. When Mr. Nenshi was elected, he fast became a national figure, rare for a municipal politician. Do you think you could do the same?

A. Mayors across the country are going to play an increasingly pivotal role in building a more competitive Canada, attracting investment and attracting talent. And increasingly our economic activity is in cities. More than three-quarters of people live in cities in this country and in Alberta more than 83% of us are urban dwellers. So mayors are going to play a pivotal role.

Q. So you think the era of higher profile mayors is upon is?

A. It seems to be an increasingly important role. We as mayors have strong mandates to speak on behalf of our communities. I’ll certainly be standing up for Edmonton, but also for a city-building agenda for Alberta and for Canada.

Q. Let’s talk about you a little bit. What is your favourite book, and what kinds of things do you like to read?

A. I read a lot of non-fiction but my favourite work of fiction is Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. That’s how I got interested in municipal politics.

Q. Given the Alberta context, that seems appropriate. Why did you settle in Edmonton?

A. I was born and raised around here. I lived in Toronto for a couple of years and it was a great time. Unlike a lot of my friends, who didn’t see Edmonton as a place they could build their families, build their businesses, build their dreams, my wife and I saw great potential in Edmonton and decided to stay. I’m glad we did because this city is absolutely on the upswing and getting increasing attention from across the country.

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